Choosing Hatred or Wisdom?
by Dr. Ilchi Lee
Editor's Note: While this article was written at the closing of 2001, we feel
it is appropriate even at this later date.
 As
I write this, the year 2001 is coming to an end. History will record this year
as the year in which the World Trade Center towers fell. History will know this
year as the Year of September 11. History will be a witness to the massive grief
and shock that we all felt when we first heard the news with incredulity and
foreboding. History will surely judge us by our actions in response to these
brutal acts.
In this hour of continuing personal grief for so many, I join with the rest
of America in praying for the souls of the departed and their families, and for
the quick recovery of the injured. As someone who spends the majority of his
time in the US and feels love for the often-breathtaking beauty of the land and
the everlasting warmth of her people, I was personally shken by such a tragedy.
This is indeed a time of grief and reflection not only for a nation, but for all
of humanity.
On the day of the attacks, the then-mayor of New York said the final body
count would be more than we could bear. I had not heard such foreboding words in
many years, and they were all the more tragic because it was the probable truth
behind his words that brought such a sense of heavy expectancy. The attacks were
horrifying to us not because of the magnitude of destruction they wrought, not
because they occurred in our backyard, not because they threatened our sense of
security in our very homes, but ultimately because of our inability to
understand the depth of hatred that lay behind these actions. There is a wall of
unknowability of the sheer rage exhibited by such actions. What could drive
someone, a human being, to purposely sacrifice his own life to kill and maim
thousands of innocent others in order to make a point?
When I see the horrific aftermath of this and other attacks, I often ask,
"What point could possibly have been so important to cause such bloodshed?" What
cause could possibly have been so crucial to cause bodies and limbs to rain down
on the streets of New York City? What national or international interest is so
paramount that innocent babies have to be riddled with nails from a crude bomb
or a child be shot and bleed to death next to his father?
We feel anger, rage, and a need to revenge ourselves upon the perpetrators of
these terrible deeds. We want justice done, which often means inflicting the
same or greater amount of pain upon the parties we believe responsible. However,
when the emotions of the moment pass -- and they will pass -- and we have
performed these "acts of justice," we are often left with an empty feeling of
loss and sadness. Ultimately we are left asking, "Why do such things happen, and
continue to happen?"
These things continue to happen because some basic needs of a large number of
our fellow human beings are not being met. We all have basic needs that have to
be fulfilled, chief among them are the needs for safety and recognition. When
someone threatens our safety, we respond with anger. When we are helpless
against such threats, we feel despair or fear. We then ask someone to recognize
our fear and come to our aid. If no one does, we feel a betrayal. A combination
of despair, fear, and betrayal will cause someone to lash out against real and
imagined enemies, causing more of the same in others. It is a vicious cycle
indeed. A cycle of hatred unleashed can wreak destruction for generations to
come. Just witness the world today.
A choice lies before us today. Should we add to the cycle by blaming someone
and taking our vengeance? I am not asking the USA to not defend herself and her
citizens from such attacks. I am not asking the USA to not respond appropriately
to those responsible for such deeds. However, I am asking the USA to recognize
the fear, desperation, and betrayal in large parts of the world that
precipitated today's tragedy. The only way to dissolve such intense negativity
will be to give each human being on Earth a sense of security and recognition --
security to feel safe in her own little corner of Earth and a general
recognition of each human being as a unique person.
I am asking the USA as the only superpower in the world to take the lead in
stopping this wheel of vendetta, once and for all, through acts of wisdom and
understanding. More blood need not be shed. May God's blessings fall upon the
victims of today's horrible tragedy. May God's strength be with those who have
to deal with the aftermath. And may God's mercy guide the hands of those who
seek to bring those responsible to answer for their deeds.
For now, let us pray that we, as humanity, find the wisdom and courage in our
belief in our Oneness to co-create a world where such tragedies are unknown. Let
us realize that we are all Earth Humans -- of Earth and not of any one nation,
religion, or ethnicity.
Let us pray.
 This
article is excerpted from The Twelve Enlightenments for Healing Society,
?2002, by Ilchi Lee. Reprinted with permission of the publisher, Hampton Roads.
www.hamptonroadspub.com
Info/Order this book.
About the Author
Dr.
llchi Lee is the founder of the modern Dahn Hak movement, a traditional Korean
system of physical and mental exercises that seeks to use the energy, or "Ki,"
system of the body to attain a spiritual awakening. Dr. Lee is the author of
numerous books, several
musical CDs, and is a well-known lecturer on spiritual health and enlightenment.
You can find more information about Dr. Lee and Dahn Hak at
www.healingsociety.org.
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